Letter to trustees of K.K.S.I. from James Foster, regarding his desire to become a Jew

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Kutsu kuuliaisuuteen : James I. Packerin liittonomistinen raamattukäsitys

This dissertation examines James I. Packer s view of the Bible as the book of God s revelation. However, this study could not be complete without discussion of his background ideas about God, man and the foundations of theology. The research method used in this dissertation is systematic analysis. I analyse key theological concepts in the data, such as inerrancy, God s word and the covenant of grace, and examine Packer s concepts primarily in the context of the reformed tradition that he represents. Although the dissertation presents the philosophical premises of Packer s thought, the focus is on an analysis of theological concepts. Packer claims to approach theological issues broadly and to reject legalism. However, he also considers Calvinist thinking to be best suited to theological work and emphasises the central role of law in his view of the Bible. My dissertation pays particular attention to the status of law in Packer s theology and especially in the covenant of grace. The dissertation shows that the fundamental theological structure of Packer s view of the Bible is based on Puritan covenant theology, which consists of the temporally successive covenant of works and covenant of grace. Covenant theology stresses the connection and friendship between God and man. Man s highest goal according to the Westminster Confession of Faith (1647) is to glorify the triune God and to rejoice in him for all eternity. After the fall of man, this friendship between God and man can only take place in the covenant of grace. For Packer, the covenant of grace encompasses not only the time of the Gospel, but also the time of the law before the Gospel. Consequently, the covenant of grace incorporates in its very essence the demand of obedience to God s law. Covenant theology forms the foundation for both his view of the Bible and his idea that a believer lives in a covenant of grace, the key aspects of which are God s commandments and man s works. Law and the Gospel are not considered fundamental opposites in the covenant of grace, unlike in justification. In the covenant of grace, man has become God s friend who obeys the law as the law of Christ in a way which differs from Luther s view of obedience to the faith . For Packer, covenant theology is a Puritan instrument to link predestination and sanctification. Works committed in obedience show that the believer belongs to the covenant of grace and will be among the saved. Although voluntary obedience to God s commandments is not a direct instrument to achieve salvation, it is a pivotal sign of predestination. God calls the predestined to salvation with an effectual calling, the reliable message of the Bible. In sanctification, God guides a believer living in the context of covenantal nomism. In that sense, the Bible is above all an instrument of law guided by reason. In man s obedience, God completes man s nature and restores the imago Dei in man.

Comments on: "The role of the social environment in psychiatric research: Outstanding challenges and future directions by Dana March, James Kirkbride, Wim Veling"

On 17 March 2009, we hosted a live discussion of fresh new ideas in the epidemiology of schizophrenia. Discussion leaders Dana March of Columbia University, James Kirkbride of the University of Cambridge, and Wim Veling of Parnassia Psychiatric Institute delivered a wide-ranging discussion of social factors such as migration, ethnicity, and urbanicity, but also asked how this research could benefit from genetic insights. Finally, they discussed possible biological mechanisms that might transduce social factors into psychosis

Sermon by Jacques Judah Lyons on the death of President William Henry Harrison

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Directional dominance on stature and cognition in diverse human populations

Homozygosity has long been associated with rare, often devastating, Mendelian disorders1, and Darwin was one of the first to recognize that inbreeding reduces evolutionary fitness2. However, the effect of the more distant parental relatedness that is common in modern human populations is less well understood. Genomic data now allow us to investigate the effects of homozygosity on traits of public health importance by observing contiguous homozygous segments (runs of homozygosity), which are inferred to be homozygous along their complete length. Given the low levels of genome-wide homozygosity prevalent in most human populations, information is required on very large numbers of people to provide sufficient power3, 4. Here we use runs of homozygosity to study 16 health-related quantitative traits in 354,224 individuals from 102 cohorts, and find statistically significant associations between summed runs of homozygosity and four complex traits: height, forced expiratory lung volume in one second, general cognitive ability and educational attainment (P < 1 × 10−300, 2.1 × 10−6, 2.5 × 10−10 and 1.8 × 10−10, respectively). In each case, increased homozygosity was associated with decreased trait value, equivalent to the offspring of first cousins being 1.2 cm shorter and having 10 months’ less education. Similar effect sizes were found across four continental groups and populations with different degrees of genome-wide homozygosity, providing evidence that homozygosity, rather than confounding, directly contributes to phenotypic variance. Contrary to earlier reports in substantially smaller samples5, 6, no evidence was seen of an influence of genome-wide homozygosity on blood pressure and low density lipoprotein cholesterol, or ten other cardio-metabolic traits. Since directional dominance is predicted for traits under directional evolutionary selection7, this study provides evidence that increased stature and cognitive function have been positively selected in human evolution, whereas many important risk factors for late-onset complex diseases may not have been.

Care for care: Studio REV's strategies of engagement

The artists at Studio REV-, along with their allies in the broader non-profit sector, address domestic workers’ rights in the United States. As a social practice art project, NannyVan works to improve how information about domestic rights is disseminated to these workers, whether nannies, elder caregivers or others. As part of a larger project named CareForce, the NannyVan project shows an ethics of care by using design traces as tactics and transversal methods as strategies.

Metabolites of PPI-2458, a selective, irreversible inhibitor of methionine aminopeptidase-2: structure determination and In vivo activity

The natural product fumagillin exhibits potent antiproliferative and antiangiogenic properties. The semisynthetic analog PPI-2458, (3R,4S,5S,6R)-5-methoxy-4-(2R,3R)-2-methyl-3-(3-methylbut-2-enyl) oxiran-2-yl]-1-oxaspiro2.5]octan-6-yl] N-(2R)-1-amino-3-methyl-1-oxobutan-2-yl]carbamate, demonstrates rapid inactivation of its molecular target, methionine aminopeptidase-2 (MetAP2), and good efficacy in several rodent models of cancer and inflammation with oral dosing despite low apparent oral bioavailability. To probe the basis of its in vivo efficacy, the metabolism of PPI-2458 was studied in detail. Reaction phenotyping identified CYP3A4/5 as the major source of metabolism in humans. Six metabolites were isolated from liver microsomes and characterized by mass spectrometry and nuclear resonance spectroscopy, and their structures were confirmed by chemical synthesis. The synthetic metabolites showed correlated inhibition of MetAP2 enzymatic activity and vascular endothelial cell growth. In an ex vivo experiment, MetAP2 inhibition in white blood cells, thymus, and lymph nodes in rats after single dosing with PPI-2458 and the isolated metabolites was found to correlate with the in vitro activity of the individual species. In a phase 1 clinical study, PPI-2458 was administered to patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. At 15 mg administered orally every other day, MetAP2 in whole blood was 80% inactivated for up to 48 hours, although the exposure of the parent compound was only similar to 10% that of the summed cytochrome P450 metabolites. Taken together, the data confirm the participation of active metabolites in the in vivo efficacy of PPI-2458. The structures define a metabolic pathway for PPI-2458 that is distinct from that of TNP-470 ((3R, 4S, 5S, 6R)-5-methoxy-4-(2R, 3R)-2-methyl-3-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)oxiran-2-yl]-1-oxaspiro2.5]octan-6 -yl] N-(2-chloroacetyl)carbamate). The high level of MetAP2 inhibition achieved in vivo supports the value of fumagillin-derived therapeutics for angiogenic diseases.

Characterization of Birkhoff-James orthogonality

The Birkhoff-James orthogonality is a generalization of Hilbert space orthogonality to Banach spaces. We investigate this notion of orthogonality when the Banach space has more structures. We start by doing so for the Banach space of square matrices moving gradually to all bounded operators on any Hilbert space, then to an arbitrary C*-algebra and finally a Hilbert C*-module.

Scale-dependent relationships between tree species richness and ecosystem function in forests

1. The relationship between species richness and ecosystem function, as measured by productivity or biomass, is of long-standing theoretical and practical interest in ecology. This is especially true for forests, which represent a majority of global biomass, productivity and biodiversity. 2. Here, we conduct an analysis of relationships between tree species richness, biomass and productivity in 25 forest plots of area 8-50ha from across the world. The data were collected using standardized protocols, obviating the need to correct for methodological differences that plague many studies on this topic. 3. We found that at very small spatial grains (0.04ha) species richness was generally positively related to productivity and biomass within plots, with a doubling of species richness corresponding to an average 48% increase in productivity and 53% increase in biomass. At larger spatial grains (0.25ha, 1ha), results were mixed, with negative relationships becoming more common. The results were qualitatively similar but much weaker when we controlled for stem density: at the 0.04ha spatial grain, a doubling of species richness corresponded to a 5% increase in productivity and 7% increase in biomass. Productivity and biomass were themselves almost always positively related at all spatial grains. 4. Synthesis. This is the first cross-site study of the effect of tree species richness on forest biomass and productivity that systematically varies spatial grain within a controlled methodology. The scale-dependent results are consistent with theoretical models in which sampling effects and niche complementarity dominate at small scales, while environmental gradients drive patterns at large scales. Our study shows that the relationship of tree species richness with biomass and productivity changes qualitatively when moving from scales typical of forest surveys (0.04ha) to slightly larger scales (0.25 and 1ha). This needs to be recognized in forest conservation policy and management.

CTFS-ForestGEO: a worldwide network monitoring forests in an era of global change

Global change is impacting forests worldwide, threatening biodiversity and ecosystem services including climate regulation. Understanding how forests respond is critical to forest conservation and climate protection. This review describes an international network of 59 long-term forest dynamics research sites (CTFS-ForestGEO) useful for characterizing forest responses to global change. Within very large plots (median size 25ha), all stems 1cm diameter are identified to species, mapped, and regularly recensused according to standardized protocols. CTFS-ForestGEO spans 25 degrees S-61 degrees N latitude, is generally representative of the range of bioclimatic, edaphic, and topographic conditions experienced by forests worldwide, and is the only forest monitoring network that applies a standardized protocol to each of the world's major forest biomes. Supplementary standardized measurements at subsets of the sites provide additional information on plants, animals, and ecosystem and environmental variables. CTFS-ForestGEO sites are experiencing multifaceted anthropogenic global change pressures including warming (average 0.61 degrees C), changes in precipitation (up to +/- 30% change), atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and sulfur compounds (up to 3.8g Nm(-2)yr(-1) and 3.1g Sm(-2)yr(-1)), and forest fragmentation in the surrounding landscape (up to 88% reduced tree cover within 5km). The broad suite of measurements made at CTFS-ForestGEO sites makes it possible to investigate the complex ways in which global change is impacting forest dynamics. Ongoing research across the CTFS-ForestGEO network is yielding insights into how and why the forests are changing, and continued monitoring will provide vital contributions to understanding worldwide forest diversity and dynamics in an era of global change.

An estimate of the number of tropical tree species

The high species richness of tropical forests has long been recognized, yet there remains substantial uncertainty regarding the actual number of tropical tree species. Using a pantropical tree inventory database from closed canopy forests, consisting of 657,630 trees belonging to 11,371 species, we use a fitted value of Fisher's alpha and an approximate pantropical stem total to estimate the minimum number of tropical forest tree species to fall between similar to 40,000 and similar to 53,000, i.e., at the high end of previous estimates. Contrary to common assumption, the Indo-Pacific region was found to be as species-rich as the Neotropics, with both regions having a minimum of similar to 19,000-25,000 tree species. Continental Africa is relatively depauperate with a minimum of similar to 4,500-6,000 tree species. Very few species are shared among the African, American, and the Indo-Pacific regions. We provide a methodological framework for estimating species richness in trees that may help refine species richness estimates of tree-dependent taxa.

Evaluación de cinco cepas de Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. phaseoli en el cultivo del frijol (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) var. Rev. 84

Esta investigación se realizó en el Centro Experimental "La Compañía" ubicada en San Marcos, Carazo, con el objetivo de evaluar la adaptabilidad de las cepas en las condiciones estudiadas, determinar cuál de las cepas es la más infectiva y efectiva en cuanto a la nodulación y determinar su efecto en el crecimiento y rendimiento del cultivo del frijol (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) var. Rev. 84. Los factores evaluados fueren 5 cepas de Rhisoblum leguminosearum by. phaseoli y 3 testigos: 1 Testigo Absoluto (no inoculado. no fertilizado) Y 2 Testigos Relativos (no inoculados y fertilizados). El diseño experimental utilizado fue el de bloques completos al azar (SCA), con 4 repeticiones. La parcela experimental del ensayo fue de 32 (8 m x 4 m), la distancia de siembra fue de 0.1 m entre plantas y 0.4 m entre surcos. Las variables analizadas fueron: número; eficiencia y peso seco de nódulos por planta, peso seco de área foliar y rendimiento. Los datos se procesaron usando análisis de varianza (AHUEVA) y se utilizó la prueba de rangos múltiples de DUNCAN (P ≤ 0. 05). No se observó diferencias significativas para las variables de nodulación y rendimiento, determinándose efecto significativo sólo para el peso seco de área foliar en la I y II etapa de evaluación Sin embargo, se determinó quo la cepa CR-436 fue la que presentó mayor infectividad en el sistema radicular y la cepa CIAT-899, la que presentó el mejor porcentaje de efectividad nodular y con la que se obtuvo el mayor promedio de peso seco de área foliar. El mejor rendimiento fue obtenido con la cepa CR-436.

Efecto de densidades de siembra y frecuencias de control mecánico de malezas, sobre la dinámica de las malezas y el crecimiento y rendimiento del frijol común (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Var. Rev. 84

El experimento fue realizado durante la postrera de 1993, en la finca experimental La Compañía, San Marcos, Carazo; perteneciente al Instituto Nicaragüense de tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Este estudio fue establecido con el objetivo de evaluar el efecto de diferentes densidades de plantas y formas de control de maleza, sobre el crecimiento, y rendimiento de frijol común (Phaseolus vulgaris I.), la cenosis de las malezas y evaluar la rentabilidad de los tratamiento en estudio. El diseño utilizado fue un Bloques Completos al Azor, en arreglo factorial, con cuatro repeticiones. Los factores evaluados fueron: densidad de siembra, siendo estas: densidad alta (400 000 plantas/ha), densidad media (300 000 plantas/ha) y densidad baja (200 000 plantas/ha) y formas de control de malezas, donde se utilizaron tres tratamientos: Enmalezado (sin control), período crítico (control mecánico a los 21 dds) y limpia periódica (controles mecánicos a los 14, 28, 42 y 56 dds). Los resultados obtenidos se pueden sintetizar de lo forma siguiente: no existió un efecto significativo de las diferentes densidades de plantas sobre la abundancia y la cobertura de las malezas, sin embargo La densidad alta presento el menor peso seco de malezas, evidenciándose el efecto de este tratamiento sobre el desarrollo de las mismas. Respecto a los controles de maleza, el control durante el período crítico y limpia periódica ejercieron un excelente control de malezas, reduciendo grandemente la abundancia y dominancia de las malezas. El número de vainas por planta disminuye conforme se aumenta la densidad de siembra, sin embargo el comportamiento de la población por unidad de oreo es opuesto, ya que a mayor densidad, el rendimiento del cultivo es superior. El tratamiento con mejor rentabilidad es el tratamiento con densidad alta, sin embargo la diferencia es mínima con respecto a las restantes densidades. De los tratamiento con control de maleza, el tratamiento limpia periódica es el que muestra mejores resultados, si analizamos la tasa de retorno marginal, sin embargo es suficiente un único control de malezas durante los períodos de mayor susceptibilidad del frijol común al efecto de las malezas

Efecto de densidades de siembra y frecuencia de control mecánico de malezas, sobre la dinámica de las malezas y el crecimiento y rendimiento del frijol común (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Var. Rev-79

El presente trabajo fue realizado en la finca San Miguel, ubicada en Monte Grande Occidental, departamento de Catan, durante la época de postrera del año 1993. El propósito del experimento fue evaluar el efecto de diferentes densidades de plantas de cultivo y frecuencia de control mecánico de malezas sobre el rendimiento de frijol común y el comportamiento de las malezas. La variedad de frijol utilizada fue Revolución 79. Los factores estudiados fueron: control de malezas (enmalezado, periodo crítico y limpia periódica); densidades de siembra (alta: 250 000 ptas/ha; media: 200 000 ptas/ha y baja: 150 000 ptas/ha). Los resultados obtenidos muestran que la población de malezas se ve disminuida en las parcelas con altas densidades de plantas. La diversidad de las malezas en el área del experimento está representada por la clase dicotiledónea con un total de 6 especies, al igual que la clase monocotiledóneas con 6 especies. Existió efecto de las densidades de siembra sobre las variables: peso seco de malezas, número de plantas por parcela útil y número de vainas por planta. En el caso de control, se determinó efecto significativo en la mayoría de las variables evaluadas. El cultivo presenta. Una ligera habilidad competitiva en relación a las malezas cuando es tratado con limpian periódicas. De los tratamientos con control de malezas, el mejor fue el control durante el período crítico. En base a estos resultados se deduce que es suficiente un único control de malezas sobre todo en los períodos en que el frijol común presente mayor susceptibilidad al efecto de las malezas.